Associated Press

News Agency

FDA panel endorses booster shot for J&J COVID-19 vaccine

U.S. health advisers endorsed a booster of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine Friday, citing concern that Americans who got the single-dose shot aren’t as protected as those given two-dose brands. J&J told the Food and Drug Administration that an extra dose adds important protection as early as two months after initial vaccination — but that […]

China crackdown on Apple store hits holy book apps, Audible

Amazon’s audiobook service Audible and phone apps for reading the holy books of Islam and Christianity have disappeared from the Apple store in mainland China, the latest examples of the impact of the country’s tightened rules for internet firms. Audible said Friday that it removed its app from the Apple store in mainland China last […]

'As seen on TikTok' is the new 'As seen on TV'

Near the Twizzlers and Sour Patch Kids at a New York candy store are fruit-shaped soft jelly candies that earned a spot on the shelves because they went viral on TikTok. A flood of videos last year showed people biting into the fruit gummies’ plastic casing, squirting artificially-colored jelly from their mouths. Store staffers at […]

Microsoft shutting down LinkedIn app in China amid scrutiny

Microsoft is shutting down its main LinkedIn service in China later this year as Beijing tightens its internet rules. The company said in a blog post Thursday it has faced a “significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China.” Microsoft is the latest American tech giant to lessen its ties to the […]

US talks global cybersecurity without a key player: Russia

Amid an epidemic of ransomware attacks, the U.S. is discussing cybersecurity strategy this week with 30 countries while leaving out one key player: Russia. The country that, unwittingly or not, hosts many of the criminal syndicates behind ransomware attacks was not invited to a two-day meeting starting Wednesday to develop new strategies to counter the […]

US regulators seek answers from Tesla over lack of recall

U.S. safety investigators want to know why Tesla didn’t file recall documents when it updated Autopilot software to better identify parked emergency vehicles, escalating a simmering clash between the automaker and regulators. In a letter to Tesla, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told the electric car maker Tuesday that it must recall vehicles if […]

FDA authorizes first e-cigarette, cites benefit for smokers

For the first time, the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized an electronic cigarette, saying the vaping device from R.J. Reynolds can help smokers cut back on conventional cigarettes. E-cigarettes have been sold in the U.S. for more than a decade with minimal government oversight or research. Facing a court deadline, the FDA has […]

Slain reporter's father takes on Facebook over violent video

The family of a slain journalist is asking the Federal Trade Commission to take action against Facebook for failing to remove online footage of her shooting death. Andy Parker said Tuesday the company is violating its own terms of service in hosting videos on Facebook and its sibling service Instagram that glorify violence. His daughter, […]

Big picture, big data: Swiss unveil VR software of universe

The final frontier has rarely seemed closer than this — at least virtually. Researchers at one of Switzerland’s top universities are releasing open-source beta software on Tuesday that allows for virtual visits through the cosmos including up to the International Space Station, past the Moon, Saturn or exoplanets, over galaxies and well beyond. The program […]

GM reaches deal with LG to pay for Bolt battery recall costs

LG Electronics has reached a deal with General Motors to pay $1.9 billion to $2 billion to reimburse the automaker for the cost of recalling Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles due to the risk of battery fires. The automaker, which announced the deal in a statement early Tuesday, says it will show the estimated recovery in […]